Election Day. What better way to blow away the spunk-webs of this Alien vs Predator cluster-cuss than watching 3 Japanese girls play some punk rock on a boat? Yes, that’s a rhetorical question.
Opening band Call the Doctor don’t really float my Thekla. A pleasant enough but pretty forgettable mishmash of Yeah Yeah Yeah’s & Pixies b-sides. Meh.
After a swift intermission Shonen Knife appear in matching outfits. Bristling with hyper-cute, infectious enthusiasm, like super-deformed small pox, they blast through songs old and (mostly) new like Hello Kitty fronting the Ramones. It’s amazing how Japanese bands can pull off this level of mega perkiness without coming across as sickly or creepy. When western bands attempt a similar thing, it can come off a bit paedotarded, but Shonen effortlessly blend childlike imagery with pogo-friendly punk power-pop thrills and super-sweet surfy harmonies.
The current line up is very different to the SK of old. Only guitarist / lead vocalist Naoko remains from the original line-up, and from any line-up of the last couple of years for that matter. Bassist Ritsuko, who sports fantastic hair and mad skillz in throwing teh rock shapez, has been a full-time member since 2008, while drummer Emi is “very fresh”, having only been with the band for 2 months. Perhaps this could account in part for the supercharged energy on display.
Most of SK’s songs are about food, “Banana Chips” being one notable example. I find this approach to pop music quite refreshing. I’m certainly more interested in biscuits and barbecues than I am in how the person you fancy won’t let you do a fuck on them.
“Barnacle” is one of the few exceptions to the food-theme (unless Barnacles are edible); “this is a song about a barnacle” Naoko sings informatively. I later find out that she is actually saying “this is the song about a barnacle”. Does she mean that it’s the only song ever written about a barnacle (or barnacles)? Perhaps the lyrics are a boast – like “this is THE song about a barnacle, yo. All y’all be fronting if y’all think your barnacle composition be superior to this mother fucker.” Maybe there’s some kind of unreported rivalry between Japanese girl punk bands for barnacle superiority. Could this be the true reason for Shonen’s many line-up changes? Perhaps previous members were casualties in a barnacle-boast gang war with ex-Girl or The 5.6.7.8’s. Further research is obviously needed.
Other highlights include old favourite “Riding the Rocket”, “Muddy Bubbles Hell”, a metal track “like Brack Sabbath”, and a logic-defyingly rocking cover of “Jet” by Wings. This music should be heartily enjoyed by all humans with functional audio-visual senses.
SK play 2 encores before beginning an autograph session at the merch table. I leave at this point for fear of getting a bit Kathy Bates in Misery.
